> Blog

May
09

Self Expression through Socks

Categories:

by

I have friends that I can count on to bring a smile to my face in the way that they offer a bit of themselves to the universe. A unique bit. I’m appreciative of the kind friend who is always reliable in speaking well of others…no bad mouthing has ever slipped over those lips. I learn from her and often fantasize that I could one day be like that. In addition to the dispositions I can count on, what I like are those friends who have created their own ways of expressing themselves which add delight to an otherwise expected way of living.

One friend always wears fun earrings, another has a fabulous array of hats, and one gives her self expression through her socks! Yes, socks. This is my friend Maryann, who in addition to wearing some special socks today will also be celebrating her birthday. I was thinking of Maryann because it was her birthday and I was thinking how much joy her wonderful socks bring to my world. It is more than just dusting off the dullness of day to day dress, it is her energetic personality and contagious smile that completes the ensemble.

So often we go through life making decisions that will go along with the status quo. Wearing the right colors to the wedding, keeping our hair just so, being considerate not to offend. All of these are good civil lines to follow. They make us considerate and respected as well as respectful. So I am not advocating that we all fling the sensible shoes for flip flops, but wouldn’t it be fun and wouldn’t it be wise to have something we call our own and something that says ‘that’s just me,’ and I do not do this to draw attention to myself but to give attention to myself. And, if you are my friend Maryann, you’d do it with fabulous socks and you’d say, “What a HOOT!”

Tags:

May
08

Seeing the Stars

Categories:

by

In our neck of the woods lately we’ve had a lot of rain…and not of that little nuisance sprinkling variety. It’s been the kind that can knock you over with its big winds, the kind where the thunder rolls over and right down your spine. We know it’s good for our plants and our county’s water table. We know it is a part of nature but sometimes we forget that even when there are clouds, even when the rain is slamming us sideways, there are still stars up there in that sky of ours, the sun is still burning and the moon is still making its rounds from waxing to waning. Sometimes though, it’s difficult to remember this.

A friend recently said that she thought she would never feel sincerely happy again. After loss of a job, some health troubles, and relationship rumbles, she was losing hope that she would see a better day ahead.The thought saddened me and I didn’t know quite what to say. But I know what I felt. I felt that even though these feelings were worrisome and something to work through, there was also a time for these feelings. I don’t believe in brushing off the sorrow and just saying Perk up, you’ll be fine! No, I believe we need time to feel all those precious emotions—joy, excitement, and sorrow.

But as we do, what I want to always feel…and certainly what I want my friend to feel…is that life is like nature in its evolution. Perhaps right now or perhaps in the future we will feel these troubled times, we will wonder if the rain will ever end. But if we consider that life is like nature then we can take some measure of comfort understanding that the stars will not only come out again, the sun will not only shine upon us again, the moon will not only show its face once more but that all those things are happening right now, behind those rain clouds, within those rain clouds, despite those rain clouds. And, when nature and when we are ready, we will see them again.

Tags:

May
07

Pesky Persistence Pays Off

Categories:

by

Persistence is a pesky word if you ask me. It rings up words like perspire, petulant, and even pain. That may be true or I may just have a penchant for alliteration. But really I often question the idea of persistence until, well, I persist. I persist in not giving up. Continue reading “Pesky Persistence Pays Off” »

Tags:

May
06

Take a Sip, Not a Gulp

Categories:

by

How is it that the start of a new work week can simultaneously feel full of potential and full of impossibilities? Perhaps we approach the list of to do items with great vigor and hope, but then we feel the undertow as it pulls at us and makes us think we will never get it all done. What if we didn’t decide to gulp down all those needed things to do and instead took little sips? Continue reading “Take a Sip, Not a Gulp” »

Tags:

May
05

Breathing in, I dwell in the present. Breathing out, I am this wonderful moment.

Categories:

by

I have always liked this meditation offered by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and writer Thich Nhat Hanh. It is simple, yet packed with power. This month, as some of my friends know, I am preparing for another residency at school which means papers to write, manuscripts to prepare, books to be read. I am also getting my act together for a hiking adventure. My plate is getting a little full and I can become easily distracted by to do lists and deadlines. I can become overwhelmed and worried. But, I also realize, I can pause and be present.

That is what I will practice today as I use my Sunday to teach, write, run around and take in what is honestly, even in all its demands, a beautiful place to be. A few days ago, I let a bit of frustration escape and expressed my frazzled state to a friend. He countered: You’re doing all this because it’s fun, right? It was as though someone released a pressure gauge. It was the exact thing I needed to hear to remind myself that life—this wonderful, joyous life—is fun. It is exactly where I want to be right now, doing exactly what I am doing. If I start to wring my hands with worry over details and deadlines, then I remove myself from the moment, I remove myself from the fun.

Does this kind of thinking relinquish us from getting tasks done? No. But it does frame our stories and remind us that when we stop, when we take a breath, we inhale all that is and we exhale and sustain this present moment, this beautiful moment.

Tags:

May
04

Give and Receive

Categories:

by

On a Saturday in the spring, many of my friends will be spending time in their gardens—turning over dirt, adding in compost, nestling plants into the ground. It is all apart of the annual ritual to watch the miracle of something small and tender become hardy and fruitful. We nurture, it grows. We care for, it prospers. Then it gives back. It gives us not just the product of its harvest—the pea, the okra, the zinnia, but it gives us pleasure in watching the transformation and knowing we had something to do with its success. We give of our time and energy and we receive the gifts of the fruition. It is all part of the same continuum. The one that gives and the one that receives. We give of ourselves and we receive something in return. Continue reading “Give and Receive” »

Tags: ,

May
03

Linger a Little

Categories:

by

I have friends whose only daughter will marry this weekend. It is an exciting time for them to see the months of planning, the months of work and consideration come to fruition. Family and friends will gather from near and far and celebrate the big event. And isn’t that what these mile markers in life are about—celebrating, looking to the future, renewing hope that something good is happening? Continue reading “Linger a Little” »

Tags:

May
02

Beauty and Beast

Categories:

by

Yesterday in spin class…yes, spin class…my friend and teacher D espoused more than the usual commands. But that is not unusual for D. He is our cycling philosopher. As we let buckets of sweat drip to the floor, he fills the air with his insightful antidotes. Yesterday was no different. Between the loud music and my loud, heavy breathing, I did not catch all his quips, but I did hear him say: “Sometimes the Beauty is the Beast!” I laughed and thought, how true. Continue reading “Beauty and Beast” »

Tags: ,

May
01

Keep on Spinning

Categories:

by

If you told me two months ago I would plan my day with even an ounce of excitement based on the fact that I was going to a spin class, I would have said you were nuts. I am the person, after all, who has been known to quip that when it comes to a spin class, “I’d rather put pins in my eyes!” I am far from a reformed anti-spinner, but there has been a shift. Continue reading “Keep on Spinning” »

Tags:

Apr
30

Our Food is as Gracious as the Blessing we Bestow

Categories:

by

When it comes to food, I can be down right opinionated. I think it should fulfill the required nutrients that protect us from disease and discomfort. I have self-proclaimed that becoming a vegetarian was the best thing I could have done for my cooking. Yes, it’s healthy, but it also made me a more interesting cook. I became more creative in presentation and more conscious of foods that offer things a body needs—like fiber and protein and vitamins. But over time I’ve come to realize that every morsel of food has the power to provide us with what we need should we view it with graciousness and blessings. Continue reading “Our Food is as Gracious as the Blessing we Bestow” »

Tags: ,

Older posts «

» Newer posts